The Hardest Thing

Furkids are our lives, we cherish them and take care of them. It never ends well and the ending never gets easier.

While we were on the fence about whether it was time for Dexter with his dementia making life very hard on us all (with 3 separate biting incidents in the past month or so), Cinder decided to stop eating, has been sleeping almost constantly, and has started having bladder control issues.

Dexter sitting pretty

Cinder and Michael

We decided it was best to send them on their way to college with a vet we knew and trusted. Today was truly a horrible experience.. having to say good-bye to not one, but two of our loving companions.. and things didn’t go smoothly.

WARNING: Potentially disturbing content follows. Please continue reading only if you are prepared.

Cinder screamed in pain when the sedation was administered and a short time later, lost control of her bowels. Dexter didn’t take sedation well and ended up biting Michael before being muzzled (didn’t break the skin, Michael is not physically injured). This, of course, made the whole event significantly more traumatizing than it already was expected to be. For Cinder and Dexter, we wish your last moments would have been smoother.

We still have Emma (orange female tabby cat), but fear will not be ready for any new companions for a while.

We will miss Cinder and Dexter, and those that have gone before, for the rest of our lives.

Lehnanne

Raised in a military family, Lehnanne moved around a lot and that is probably why she likes to move around as an adult. She and Michael have been full-time RVers since 2007. Their home is run for the safety and comfort of the fur-Kidds.

3 Comments

Lynn
· 2016-03-19 at 06:39

I’m so, so sorry for your losses. I know how much Cinder and Dexter meant to you both and my heart is broken for you. They both had very happy lives as part of the Kidd family. Hugs, hugs…

Mel A-K
· 2016-03-19 at 12:31

Dear Friends, I also went through a situation where a sweet dog had a traumatic time when it was time to leave this Earth. At first it was haunting to me, but as I pondered the situation I have come to believe that in reality at most times of transition we don’t carry those memories with us – at least not in a clear sense. I believe they are left behind – birth being an example. It can certainly be traumatic. From my own experience, there is when I was barely 2 years old, I was in a car accident (before seatbelts) and I was thrown through the air and mouth first into a metal ashtray on the back of the front seat. I’m someone who has memories from when I was very young (verified by my parents when I was old enough to talk about them – but also they had noticed this even before that time). From the accident, I distinctly remember being told to get back into my seat, advice I ignored. I remember flying through the air and seeing the colors of the traffic lights. We were at an intersection. I don’t remember hitting the ashtray or the ambulance, or going into surgery or any pain. I do remember coming out of surgery and the yellow tile on the wall and my parents hovering over me. There are also other experiences, though important, where the emotional/painful part is suppressed or wiped from memory.
So I ask you to consider this, and I believe that where Cinder & Dexter are now, all that is with them is the wonderful love, life, and individual experiences that you gave them. That, and you were brave enough to release them from the inevitable suffering that they were beginning to experience here.

Jim Beletti
· 2016-03-19 at 23:12

Michael and Lehnanne – I had no idea about the fur babies. I am so sorry for your loss.

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